Who Controls The Global Economy? Do Not Underestimate The Power Of The Big Banks

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Are the big banks really as powerful as some people say that they are? Do they really control the global economy? If y0u asked most people, they would tell you that governments control the global economy. But the campaigns of our politicians are funded by the ultra-wealthy, the big banks and the large corporations that they control. Others would tell you that the Federal Reserve and the rest of the central banks around the world control the global economy. But the truth is that the Federal Reserve was established by the bankers and for the benefit of the bankers. As you will see below, at the very core of the global economy there exists a “super-entity” of financial institutions that control an almost unimaginable amount of wealth and power. These financial institutions and the ultra-wealthy individuals behind them are really the ones that are pulling all the strings. In this world money equals power, and the borrower is the servant of the lender.When you follow the pyramid all the way to the top, it begins to become very clear who really is in control.

In business schools all over America today, instead of dreaming of starting new businesses and contributing something positive to society, most business students are dreaming of going to Wall Street and getting rich. But Wall Street doesn’t actually create or build anything of value for society. Instead, the bankers make most of their profits by essentially pushing money and paper around. In a recent article, Chris Martenson commented on this…

Today, some of the most celebrated individuals and institutions are ensconced within the financial industry; in banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms. Which is odd because none of these firms or individuals actually make anything, which society might point to as additive to our living standards. Instead, these financial magicians harvest value from the rest of society that has to work hard to produce real things of real value.

While the work they do is quite sophisticated and takes a lot of skill, very few of these firms direct capital to new efforts, new products, and new innovations. Instead they either trade in the secondary markets for equities, bonds, derivatives, and the like, which perform the ‘service’ of moving paper from one location to another while generating ‘profits.’ Or, in the case of banks, they create money out of thin air and lend it out – at interest of course.

But just because they aren’t adding much value to society does not mean that these big banks are not extremely powerful. In fact, anyone that underestimates that power of these monolithic financial institutions is being quite foolish.

A team of researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich studied the relationships between 37 million companies and investors worldwide, and what they found was absolutely stunning.

When the team further untangled the web of ownership, it found much of it tracked back to a “super-entity” of 147 even more tightly knit companies – all of their ownership was held by other members of the super-entity – that controlled 40 per cent of the total wealth in the network. “In effect, less than 1 per cent of the companies were able to control 40 per cent of the entire network,” says Glattfelder. Most were financial institutions. The top 20 included Barclays Bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and The Goldman Sachs Group.

So exactly who are the companies that are at the core of this “super-entity”?

Well, almost all of them are banks or financial institutions. The following is a list of the 50 “most connected” companies from the study, and the notes in parentheses are from Chris Martenson…

The global economy truly is completely dominated by banks and other financial institutions.

In the United States, the big banks are not just content to own other companies anymore. Now, some of our largest banks are actually starting to directly get into businesses such as “electric power production, oil refining and distribution, owning and operating of public assets such as ports and airports, and even uranium mining”. The following is an excerpt from a letter that several members of the U.S. Congress recently sent to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke…

We write in regards to the expansion of large banks into what had traditionally been non-financial commercial spheres. Specifically, we are concerned about how large banks have recently expanded their businesses into such fields as electric power production, oil refining and distribution, owning and operating of public assets such as ports and airports, and even uranium mining.

Here are a few examples. Morgan Stanley imported 4 million barrels of oil and petroleum products into the United States in June, 2012. Goldman Sachs stores aluminum in vast warehouses in Detroit as well as serving as a commodities derivatives dealer. This “bank” is also expanding into the ownership and operation of airports, toll roads, and ports. JP Morgan markets electricity in California.

In other words, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley are no longer just banks – they have effectively become oil companies, port and airport operators, commodities dealers, and electric utilities as well. This is causing unforeseen problems for the industrial sector of the economy. For example, Coca Cola has filed a complaint with the London Metal Exchange that Goldman Sachs was hoarding aluminum. JP Morgan is currently being probed by regulators for manipulating power prices in California, where the “bank” was marketing electricity from power plants it controlled. We don’t know what other price manipulation could be occurring due to potential informational advantages accruing to derivatives dealers who also market and sell commodities. The long shadow of Enron could loom in these activities.

This week, Goldman Sachs has been facing allegations that it has cost American consumers billions of dollars by manipulating the price of aluminum. The following is from an article that was posted on CNBC…

Hundreds of millions of times a day, thirsty Americans open a can of soda, beer or juice. And every time they do it, they pay a fraction of a penny more because of a shrewd maneuver by Goldman Sachs and other financial players that ultimately costs consumers billions of dollars.

The story of how this works begins in 27 industrial warehouses in the Detroit area where Goldman stores customers’ aluminum. Each day, a fleet of trucks shuffles 1,500-pound bars of the metal among the warehouses. Two or three times a day, sometimes more, the drivers make the same circuits. They load in one warehouse. They unload in another. And then they do it again.

This industrial dance has been choreographed by Goldman to exploit pricing regulations set up by an overseas commodities exchange, an investigation by The New York Times has found. The back–and-forth lengthens the storage time. And that adds many millions a year to the coffers of Goldman, which owns the warehouses and charges rent to store the metal. It also increases prices paid by manufacturers and consumers across the country.

If that sounds shady to you, that is because it is shady.

But as the big banks continue to gain even more power in our society, this kind of thing will become even more common.

So what can we do about it?

Not much.

Do you think that the media will tell us the truth about all of this? I wouldn’t count on it. At this point, there are just six giant media corporations that control more than 90 percent of the news and entertainment that you see on your television. And those six giant media corporations are very hesitant to do anything that will damage their corporate owners or their corporate advertisers.

Do you think that our politicians will do anything about all of this? I wouldn’t count on it. In national elections, the candidate that raises more money wins more than 80 percent of the time. Our politicians know where their bread is buttered, and as history has shown most of them are very good to the guys with the big checkbooks.

As I said at the top of this article, money is power, and according to a report that was released last summer, the global elite have up to 32 TRILLION dollars stashed in offshore banks around the globe.

The global economy belongs to them. We are just living in it.

But hopefully if enough people start waking up, someday we will see some significant changes.

One of my favorite musical artists of all-time, Michael W. Smith, once wrote a song that contained the following lyrics…

Tell me, how long will we grovel at the feet of wealth and power?

Tell me, how long will we bow down to that golden calf, now?

(How long will be too long)

Will the people of the world ever get sick and tired of the overwhelming power of the big banks and start demanding changes?

At the very bottom of all this is the practice of Loan-at-Interest. It’s what engendered all ancient empires down through history. Only a very tiny few people have ever even heard of the Real Bill Doctrine, yet its transformational effect on societies and their economies was an unparalleled advancement in finance which freed credit conveyance from centralized ‘favored’ manipulation to unencumbered open access by individual producers of goods using only the combination of raw materials and Labor of the directly involved parties.

Enthusiastic adoption of the Real Bill Doctrine by America’s Founders, brought glaring focus on the broad horizons of Independence the Doctrine fostered. It also led ‘old line’ bankers and Monarchical Dynasties the world over to paint a huge target on this Land. In time, the banks commandeered the Clearing Mechanisms that supported Real Bill discount tracking and liquidations and slowly replaced them with their enslaving Loan-at-Interest model again.

Restoration of this one innovation and its life-blood hard-money liquidation balance, will UTTERLY defeat this entire cabal the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology group has identified.

As I so often admonish … it is not WHO is behind our travails, but WHAT it is they’re DOING. By contemplating THAT, we arrive at countermanding SOLUTIONS.

CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka said Thursday that she has no choice but to withhold lawmakers’ paychecks, citing a precedent-setting court case that bars her from paying state employees without a budget appropriation or court order.

Gov. Pat Quinn cut $13.8 million for legislators’ paychecks from a budget bill earlier this month, saying it wouldn’t be restored until lawmakers addressed the state’s $97 billion pension shortfall. He also suspended his own pay.

“It is my deep hope that this matter is resolved expeditiously,” either by a court or by lawmakers agreeing on a solution to the pension crisis, said Topinka, who undertook a legal review to determine if Quinn’s actions were constitutional. The Riverside Republican said Thursday that Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office advised her of the case that appears to bar her from acting

She called Quinn’s actions a “serious precedent that is being created,” and said the stalemate was “no way to run government.”

“Threats, blackmail and inertia may be good theater, but it makes us look ridiculous and takes away from our ability to get things done,” she said. “It is time for leaders to lead.”

Sweeeeet! The entire bankrupt pension program of Illinois is held hostage by $14 million in lawmakers paychecks. That’s a 7,000 to 1 ratio. It better than having a handle on one RCH and being able to get Chaz Napolitano’s undivided attention. And I’d pay a silver dollar to see that show.

Right AGXIIK Just in….http://www.freep.com/article/20130725/NEWS06/307250136/detroit-bankruptcy-senate-obama-governmentWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s administration has all but ruled out a federal bailout for bankrupt Detroit, but that’s not enough for some Republican U.S. senators who want a guarantee written into the law.
And they want it to extend to more than just Detroit.This collapse is not going to wait. It is here and now showing it’s full head. Golden Fleece Jason & The Argonots!!!!

The United States Government?! Needs to do like they did in Iceland! Just that simple. Throw these crooks in prison along with those corrupt politicians and give all those debt jubilees. This is going to get really ugly and the mainstream media will have to start talking about what is going on around the nation. Only then more and more chatter will be talked about the markets and the market manipulation including precious metals. Prepare yourselves.. Notice that Michelle Bachmann & other politicians are leaving and or retiring. They are leaving the country, because their so called constituents will be hunting them down. Basically in short? Why didn’t you do your jobs to protect the American people. You sat there and accepted (bribes) campaign contributions and fled with your families. Does anyone recall when Michelle Bachmann received her second citizenship sometime last year? Her and her entire family are leaving and or left the country.. You can bet on this….This thing is coming down quickly..

WASHINGTON — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann has requested withdrawal of her Swiss citizenship after news that she and her children had recently applied for Swiss papers caused a stir.
Referring to the Swiss citizenship as an “automatic” designation conferred upon her when she married her husband, Marcus Bachmann, the son of Swiss immigrants, Bachmann said she was withdrawing the citizenship to make clear her allegiance to the U.S.http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/10/news/la-pn-swiss-no-more-bachmann-withdraws-dual-citizenship-20120510
Doubt she did!

“But the truth is that the Federal Reserve was established by the bankers and for the benefit of the bankers.”

Lol, ya think? Considering the results of the Fed’s efforts, it would be ludicrous to think that their stated mandate is their real job. Anyone tasked with protecting the value of the dollar, only to lose 97% of its purchasing power since their inception should be considered the ultimate in incompetence and utter failure. Clearly, this is NOT their true mandate.

“But Wall Street doesn’t actually create or build anything of value for society. Instead, the bankers make most of their profits by essentially pushing money and paper around.”

An interesting position, since most of these financial companies sell their services into a market wherein they would have no clients if those clients did not believe they were getting fair value for their money.

“Are you starting to get the idea?”

Indeed. Companies that rely on their ability to network with people and other companies for their profitability, not to mention their very survival, actually are highly networked. Wow! Who would have thought?

“In the United States, the big banks are not just content to own other companies anymore.”

Of course. These are large and very profitable businesses. They do not put their money into a giant “money bin” so they can dive into it and roll around for their own amusement. No, they invest their profits in what they hope will be profitable businesses. In business, EVERYTHING is for sale; not just the products of the companies that make them but the companies themselves. It’s just a matter of price. Those who get pleasure from mounting their high horse should consider what they would do if someone were to offer them a LOT more money for their house than it was actually worth. Would they sell it? Probably in a heartbeat.

“This week, Goldman Sachs has been facing allegations that it has cost American consumers billions of dollars by manipulating the price of aluminum.”

If I had a list of 1,000 ways that people can be financially screwed, this would not be on it. It is a pittance. Yes, it adds up to big money when billions of cans are made but most of us don’t buy very many cans. If it costs me an extra dollar this year, I can live with that. Having spent 30+ years paying tens of thousands of dollars in taxes each and every year, this is truly insignificant compared to that most thorough reaming. Not saying that this shouldn’t be illegal, just that it is very small in the scheme of many other much more significant things about which we can be outraged.

“As I said at the top of this article, money is power, and according to a report that was released last summer, the global elite have up to 32 TRILLION dollars stashed in offshore banks around the globe.”

None of which was in banks in Cyprus… or, if it was, no doubt it got moved to a safe and undisclosed location, just in the nick of time.

I feel like the wealth cycle has decidedly tipped towards those with power and control, maybe in a way not seen in a century. A dollar from $7 billion people on the order of 365 days a year is a serious amount of capital going into someone’s pockets That comes to about $2.5 trillion a year With a global net worth of $220 trillion, and the fact that 200 people have more net worth than 3.5 billion at this present time ($2.4 trillion vs $2.2 trillion),then the rest of theglobal net worth must reside in the other 3.5 billion occupants of planet earth. I serious doubt if it is well distributed in that case.

The real problem here is that with this sloshing of wealth around the planet, starting in earnest about 600 years ago, when Feudalism was basically sent packing, capitalism, entrepreurship and the new world, this gave the Average Joe a fair chance of getting ahead. The royals and elites wanted their piece of the action. They never died and their scions are still actively breeding new generations of entitled elites and royals who think that we are just serfs and peasants to be breed, used, culled and destroyed.
Most of the people in this world live under harsh governments with crony capitalism rampant. We are well into that cycle in this country with trillion dollar tranches of wealth extraction proceeding apace in taxes, FIAT debt and theft of personal property.
Feudalism is alive and well, moving quickly to reassert itself as the prodominate means of keeping the power and wealth in the hands of a tiny handful of people. If 200 people can own well over 2 trillion in wealth and another $100-200 trillion is up for grabs or already grabbed, there is a hard slog ahead for all of us keep what we have or get a little extra in the shopping bag

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